Quote:
Originally Posted by FFIF
seperate question for the old salts...
Ive downloaded the fuel effencincy mod, and ive been running at 1/3, is this historically correct for an outbound trip to the patrol area? Having to go the long way around england, it looks like an easy 2 week trip just to get to my patrol area at 8 knots.
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If you are in a Type VII, 7-8 knots is by far the most fuel-efficient speed.
Yes, it will take longer to get to your patrol grid at 1/3 ahead than at a higher speed.. however you will burn less fuel in covering that distance and have more left over once you get there. That means you'll be able to stay on station longer and/or patrol a much larger area should you decide to go looking for targets somewhere else. You will also have more fuel on hand to use in pursuit of targets or escape from danger should you need to crank up the speed temporarily in those situations.
As a test, set your speed at 8 knots and ask your navigator to give you your maximum range at current speed. He will reply by reporting a distance in kilometers. That's how much distance you can get out of your remaining fuel if you remain at the current speed.
Now increase your speed to 1/2 ahead, full ahead, and flank speed, each time stopping to ask again for maximum range at current speed. You'll see that the maximum distance you can travel on remaining fuel at a given speed decreases as the speed goes up. The same thing happens if you drop below 7-8 knots. At higher speeds, you begin to burn more and more fuel for every kilometer you travel; at slower speeds, you travel shorter and shorter distances for every liter of fuel you burn.
7-8 knots (in a Type VII, at least) is that "magic" spot on the dial where you get the maximum distance possible out of every drop of fuel on hand.
